Lead author Jennifer Pilgrim found the highest number of deaths was amongst nurses — 62 per cent of the deaths — followed by medical practitioners, at 18 per cent.

Most of the nurses were women, and the doctors male.

“Drug-caused deaths amongst healthcare professionals in Australia commonly involve females in their mid-40s, with a diagnosis of mental illness, personal and professional stress and the intent to self-harm,” the study found.

Intentional self-harm was the main cause of death, and mental illness was common, with depression diagnosed in almost half of those who died.

But taking into account the number of people employed in different parts of the health sector, veterinarians were most at risk of a fatal overdose.